INVESTIGATION OF THE ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF BILBERRY (VACCINIUM MYRTILLUS L.) AND LINGONBERRY (VACCINIUM VITIS-IDAEA L.) LEAF DRUGS USING THE DISK DIFFUSION METHOD
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Szerzők: Cím: INVESTIGATION OF THE ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF BILBERRY (VACCINIUM MYRTILLUS L.) AND LINGONBERRY (VACCINIUM VITIS-IDAEA L.) LEAF DRUGS USING THE DISK DIFFUSION METHOD DOI: https://doi.org/10.71066/FTTMK.2.03 Megjelent: 2026 |
ABSTRACT
The increasing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has intensified the search for natural compounds with antimicrobial activity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial potential of leaf extracts from lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.) and bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) collected from different altitudes in the Gutâi Mountains (Romania). Ethanolic extracts were prepared from dried leaves and tested against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria using the disk diffusion method.
The extracts showed selective antibacterial activity. The strongest inhibitory effect was observed against Staphylococcus aureus, with the largest inhibition zone (14 mm) recorded for one bilberry sample. Lingonberry extracts inhibited the growth of Haemophilus influenzae, Staphylococcus aureus, and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus spp., while no inhibitory activity was detected against Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, or Clostridium perfringens under the tested conditions. Differences in antibacterial activity were observed among samples collected from different locations, suggesting that environmental factors may influence the accumulation of bioactive compounds in the leaves.
The results confirm that Vaccinium leaf extracts possess selective antibacterial properties, particularly against Gram-positive bacteria. Although the limited number of samples does not allow conclusions regarding the effect of altitude, the findings support the potential use of lingonberry and bilberry leaves as natural sources of antimicrobial compounds. Further studies are required to identify the active constituents and determine their minimum inhibitory concentrations.
KEYWORDS
Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Vaccinium myrtillus, leaf extracts, antibacterial activity, disk diffusion, polyphenols.
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